So, I wait and watch as she takes several steps forward.

  As Persephone moves away from the center of the room, flowers bloom in the wake of her footsteps. But the further she moves away from them, the quicker they wither away back into nothingness.

  Vines snake up around her bare legs, twisting about her calves without hindering a single step as she glances about the room. Though her lips are pulled into a smile, it does little to hide the sharpness lurking within her eyes.

  There's an anger ... a bitterness to her that I haven't seen before.

  I take a step back just as Lilia shifts slightly to get a better view of Persephone; and although I can still just make her out around the tall woman, I'm momentarily hidden from the goddess' view.

  I do my best to calm my thudding heart as I wait for her to speak. To let us know why we've been brought here in the middle of the night.

  Persephone stops a few feet away from the other women, the strange light spilling over her giving her an eerie but not quite ethereal glow.

  The vines and flowers continue to burst to life at her feet, wrapping around her legs and clothing her in foliage nearly halfway up her torso. Still, it’s strange to watch as the flowers die nearly as quickly as they bloom, only to immediately be replaced by a new bud.

  I don’t recall seeing this happen the last time I saw her. Nor do I recall her seeming so out of control with her emotions.

  She’s definitely not acting like any version of herself that I know.

  The tension in the room grows, curiosity mixing with anxious anticipation as the women begin to shift uncomfortably on their feet.

  Still, Persephone remains silent as her eyes slowly move over the room yet again.

  “I know what Hades’ intentions are with you,” she says, finally breaking the uneasy quiet even as her words weigh heavily in the air. “And I know that one among you has already caught his eye. I not your queen?! Would you betray my kindness to become my husband’s second wife?”

  Her voice rings through the room, causing everyone to flinch. Persephone holds up a hand as she takes a deep breath to calm herself.

  “And yet, as is the way of my husband, I have no say in the matter. So, I have decided to help prepare you for your future role.”

  Shock hits me as I try to make sense of what I just heard.

  Why would she even agree to help her husband find a new lover? Wouldn’t that put her own place at court, her very life, in danger?

  This makes no sense to me. Surely, she cannot mean what she says.

  Or, perhaps like us, she has no choice.

  “Now, I will tell you why I have gathered you all here. Every day that you remain in this palace, after my husband has retired for the night, you will be brought here to me,” she says, slowly pacing in front of us. “And every night, I will instruct you in what it takes to please Hades. After which, one of you will be sent up to him.”

  This causes an outburst of whispers from the woman, my own heart pounding at the implication of her words. The fury in her eyes intensifies as she allows the murmuring to continue for a moment before summoning silence with the lifting of a hand

  Nodding once as silence is granted, she continues, “Should the chosen woman successfully win over my husband, the rest of you will all be allowed to leave and return to your lives.”

  Persephone pauses as several of the women let out relieved sighs at this, but I’m unwilling to let my guard down just yet.

  “However, if the woman is unsuccessful in her attempts, she will not return to see another day. This cycle will continue until one of you manages to win him over, or none of you remain.”

  A deadly silence falls over the room, and Persephone’s expression grows harder as she looks over the women once more. Again, this version of the beautiful spring goddess seems so unlike the woman I met only days ago.

  I can feel the terror wafting off the women trapped here with me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to bear this feeling of guilt, especially now that these women’s lives are at stake. Women who are only stuck here because of me.

  An icy shiver runs down my spine as I realize the true gravity of the situation that we have now found ourselves in.

  This is no game.

  This is a challenge.

  This is a fight for our very survival.

  “We begin tonight,” Persephone announces, drawing my focus sharply back to her. Her gaze sweeps past me once before snapping back, suddenly noticing me despite Lilia partially blocking me from view. Her eyes turn dark for a moment before warming into soft honey-green pools.

  The change is so quick, I take a startled step back.

  “Hazel?” she says, confusion flickering across her face for a second before she can shake it. “Come, stand by me.”

  Reluctantly, I force my feet to carry me toward her as the other women eye me warily. She gives me a soft smile as she watches me, though her gaze sharpens again as I draw nearer.

  I don’t trust this version of Persephone, and I’m careful to stand as far from her as possible. I still can’t shake the feeling that something more is at play here, but I do not yet know what.

  “Persephone, I—"

  “I will speak with you later,” she says, turning back to face the others. “You will need to know everything there is to know about my husband and his ... desires. From this moment forward your likes, your desires, your very hopes and dreams are to become his.”

  Many of the women exchange uncertain looks at this as they continue to shift uncomfortably on their feet, but several seem all too eager to learn more. I force myself to remain still, trying my best to keep my face neutral and my emotions in check.

  “We will begin with your demeanor,” Persephone says, her voice taking on a sultry tone. “Hades is a powerful man, and he enjoys being in control. You must learn to be submissive, to let him take the lead, but do not mistake submission for weakness. You must be confident in your perceived innocence, make him believe you are worth his time and attention.”

  I frown at this, my confusion only growing the more she speaks, and it appears that she’s genuinely trying to teach us how to seduce her husband.

  The others seem to shift closer, suddenly curious about this lesson on how to please Hades. My frown deepens until Persephone glances at me. She smiles, and her teeth almost appear to flash and sharpen into points in the eerie glow.

  “Here, I will use Hazel as an example,” the goddess says, snapping my attention back to her as she steps closer.

  Our eyes meet and I see nothing good buried in them. There is no kindness like I saw the day I met her.

  I can’t help but wonder if she knows this is all my fault, and if she does, what she intends to happen to me.

  “Persephone,” I start again, only to quickly my lips together when she gives me a warning look and continues her lesson.

  “Follow my lead, and try to pretend that this girl is Hades.”

  She approaches me, her movements fluid and graceful, and strangely disarming. I can feel the heat of her body as she comes near, the fresh scent of spring enveloping me. It's intoxicating, but I know better than to let my guard down.

  She reaches up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, and I fight the urge to flinch away from her touch.

  “Now, observe how I touch her,” she says, her voice low and dangerous. “You must learn to be sensual, to make him crave your touch … without allowing him to think you want to bed him.”

  My muscles tense as she suddenly bends to pick something up and pretends to accidentally brush her body against me. Though her movements do little more than add to my discomfort, I have no doubt if I were a man, it would be quite a different story.

  As she straightens, she gives the other women a knowing look but continues to act as though she is innocent of her own actions.

  “Hades is a man of particular tastes; he must always believe he is in charge,” she says, her face softening as she drops her chin to look coyly up at me. “Make him believe he is the one hunting you, instead of the other way around.”

  One of the women lets out a snort of contempt at this, and Persephone immediately looks up just as the blonde from earlier finishes rolling her eyes.

  I shudder as Persephone steps away from me, the softness immediately leaving her features as she narrows her eyes on the other women.

  “Now it is your turn,” she tells them. “Pair up and try your best to act out innocent allure on one another. Do not forget that the well-timed accidental slip of a dress sleeve or lifting of a hem can go further than you might think.”

  As the others pair up and I’m left standing awkwardly alone, it’s a small relief to be momentarily forgotten by Persephone. I watch as she moves through the women, quickly correcting their actions and offering them words of advice. As the night wears on, I can’t help but notice that I am the only one not actually participating.

  Even if it hardly seems like much of a lesson at all … but perhaps that shows just how little I know.

  I wonder if she learned any of this from Eros, it seems just like the type of thing he would have taught me if we’d had longer to prepare. I have to bite back a laugh at this thought. No, I don’t think he would have taught me anything quite so subtle.

  Eros may be the God of Lust and Desire, but I get the sense he doesn’t know what it takes to have to earn desire.

  “That will be all for tonight,” Persephone finally announces, returning to stand by my side without so much as a glance in my direction.

  I might as well be a statue within this garden given how little attention she’s paid me, but hopefully, that will change once we have a moment to speak alone.

  Her eyes instead shift over the room as the women return to stand before her, and it hits me that she’s choosing the first woman to send up to Hades’ chambers. My stomach twists with discomfort as her eyes land on the rude, albeit beautiful, blonde who was sat next to me at dinner.

  The smile that stretches Persephone’s lips is nothing short of terrifying as she points to her.

  “You,” she says. “You will be the first to go to my husband. Your success or failure in this will decide the fate of not just yourself, but all those who stand in this room.”

  The blonde pales at the unspoken reminder that if she fails, she’ll likely be dead by morning. I watch as those around her pull back slightly as if already preparing for her loss.

  “Now?” the woman asks. “It is but a few short hours until dawn, and I—”

  “Have you heard nothing that I have said?” Persephone snaps, cutting her off. “You will go to him this night and prove once and for whether or not you have what it takes to seduce the king.”

  The blonde straightens at this challenge, her own face hardening as a cold smirk pulls at the corner of her mouth.

  “Very well, Your Highness.”

  “Guards!”

  “Persephone,” I whisper urgently, “please, may I speak with you.”

  “Not now,” she answers just as a number of her guard step into the room. “Escort the others back to their rooms at once.”

  I watch in dismay as Persephone crosses to lounge on a chair at the back of the room before I’m herded out of the room with the other women.

  It isn’t until I’m back in the tower, the door closed and locked behind me, that I let out a sigh of both relief and frustration.

  When the spring goddess first noticed me, I’d half expected to be thrown to Hades immediately. In some ways that would have been better.

  Now that I’m stuck here, I can’t help but wonder why I wasn’t, and why Persephone hadn’t allowed me a moment to speak with her.

  Slipping into bed, I toss and turn but sleep evades me as I wait to learn of the woman’s fate, to learn of all of our fates.

  I worry that too many women will be lost to this game Persephone seems to be playing. No matter how I turn it over in my head, I just can’t see what she hopes to gain from this.

  Let alone what I’m supposed to do now.

  13

  Hazel

  Morning finds me sleep-deprived as I sit on the bed, knees pulled to my chest, staring out the single window of my room.

  The second that the dark sky outside begins to lighten, I rise and cross over to the window. Pushing it open, I lean out to peer down at the still-slumbering realm below.

  I’m given no hint as to whether the blonde was successful or not. Though, I’m not sure what I expected to find either way.

  My heart beats steadily in my chest as I prepare for the worst.

  Even now, I’m struggling to bring myself to accept that the Persephone I met before was nothing more than an illusion. Perhaps this … this cold, cruel version of the goddess is her truest form.

  And I fear that the absence of the woman she sent to him will only confirm how terrible things really are. That I am nothing more than a foolish mortal trying to outplay the gods.

  I shudder at the thought, yet again feeling Death’s absence

  Closing the window, I turn to dress for the day, my mind racing with thoughts of what’s to come.

  Throwing open the wardrobe with a sigh, I’m surprised to find a single dress hanging inside. Though it’s made of the same midnight silk, it’s simple and easy enough for me to slip on without help.

  The bodice of the dress clings to my body, the silk draping in soft folds around my neckline, while the skirt flows softly to the floor, a thigh-high slit up one side.

  I make my way into the bathroom to finish tidying up only to notice the stained gown I’d tossed in the corner the day before.

  Hurrying over to it, a wave of relief washes over me as I feel a small bundle tucked within. Unwrapping the fabric, I pull out the brown package and clutch it tightly to my chest.

  Almost in the same instant, I hear the sound of a key scraping in the lock. Slipping the package back into the folds of the fabric, I tuck it behind a small stool and emerge from the bathroom just as the door swings open.

  He doesn’t say anything as he motions toward the door, and for once I’m relieved the guards have no interest in speaking to me. Until I realize he’s escorting me back to the dining hall.

  My stomach twists with worry that this can only mean one thing, the woman was unsuccessful in her attempts to entice Hades.

  Nervously, I step into the room. My eyes scan the somber faces already seated around the table, but just as I feared the woman from last night is nowhere to be seen. My shoulders sag in disappointment as I’m directed toward my seat.

  Only, I’m not shown to the seat I had the night before, but the now empty one beside it. I try to protest, but the guard only roughly forces me down into the chair.

  I feel the eyes of the other women on me, but they remain quiet as food is brought out to us. Glancing toward the head of the table, I cannot help but Hades’ seat is empty.

  “You should eat,” Lilia whispers, drawing my gaze to her.

  “You will not speak!”

  She gives me a half-smile before returning to her meal, and I try to push myself to do the same. Lilia isn’t wrong either, I do need to eat, despite my stomach wishing otherwise.

  Taking a small bite, I’m pleasantly surprised to find my appetite suddenly returned. The rest of breakfast is a silent affair, with only the sounds of silverware scraping against plates to fill the room. No one so much as dares to cough, let alone say anything about the empty seat beside me.

  As I finish a bit of cheese, I can’t help the way my mind overflows with questions as I dare a glance about the table. Finally, the servants re-emerge from the shadows to clear our plates as the guards filter in behind our chairs.

  Standing, I prepare myself for another long day spent alone in my tower as my escort signals for me to follow him. With a small sigh, I step into place behind him as the other women walk ahead of us.

  I watch them as we walk, wondering how many more of them will be lost before I can find a way to fix this. If there even is a way to fix this.

  It takes me longer than I’d like to admit to realize that I’m not being taken back to the tower as we follow the other women through a series of wider and wider halls and down a short flight of stairs.

  They look just as lost as I do as several of them glance back at me, as if double checking to see if we’re all being brought to the same place. Silence follows us as I begin to fear we’re in for another lesson from Persephone.

  But we’re not led to the jungle room we found ourselves in last night. Two of the guards in front push open a massive set of doors, steam wafting out in a heavy cloud to reveal a stunning bathhouse beyond. Pearly white tiles surround a pool of deep blue water that’s unlike anything I’ve yet seen in Hades’ palace.

  I hesitate as I cross the threshold, my eyes widening in awe as I realize that this is more than just a simple bathhouse. This is a luxurious oasis in the midst of the iciness of the palace, complete with marble pillars and the sound of trickling water echoing off the walls.

  “Welcome,” a voice says from behind us, and I turn to find a beautiful, but rather unsettling woman standing behind us. She seems familiar, but I can’t quite figure out why that is. She watches us all for a long moment, waiting to make sure she has everyone’s attention before continuing, “You are to spend the day enjoying yourselves to the fullest here. Attendants have been provided to see to your every desire.”

  As if on cue, a line of gorgeous men appears behind her. Some carry towels and jars of oil, while still others are laden with platters of fruit and pitchers of wine, ready to pamper us in every possible way.

  I follow the other women as they begin to undress, their garments falling to the floor in a pile of fabric as they wade into the water. Their eyes widen in pleasure as they sink into the steaming water.

  Smiles and laughter are quick to replace the somberness that haunted us before. As if they’ve already forgotten that our very lives now hang in the balance.

  I wish I could bring myself to relax, but I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

 

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